His Eternal Darkness
by LeMasqueRouge
Summary: The war is over, Voldemort is gone, and the seventh years have returned to finish their final year at Hogwarts. Hermione becomes intrigued in the quiet Draco Malfoy. Is he truly changed or simply hiding his true self?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: This is my first Fanfic ever, and I couldn't be more excited to write it and share with you all! This is going to be purely a Dramione fanfic written in primarily Hermione's point of you. I'm giving this an M rating as I will be exploring dark themes and including graphic scenes as well further into the story. The story picks up right after the end of the war; Voldemort is dead, and the wizarding world is finally back to normal. All characters will be original and belong to J.K. Rowling, save for a few of my own creations in the story. I hope all of you enjoy reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it! Thank you.

**Disclaimer**: All characters (save for a few of my own) belong to J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter One**

As Hermione Granger strolled along the corridor to her Transfiguration class, she mentally noted that she had three minutes to spare before class started. At that, however, she had to scoff at herself. Hermione Granger was never late, she was always punctual.

Transfiguration...

The reminder of her going to class made her sigh contentedly. An aura of normalcy had finally returned to the hallowed halls of Hogwarts now that the war was finally over. Hermione and the other seven years were invited to return along with the lower years now that the castle had been completely restored to its original grandeur. It seemed that Hogwarts had not been touched when in reality it had. Along with the castle, its students had been affected greatly as well.

Harry Potter was now indefinitely the Boy Who Lived as vanquished Voldemort and miraculously saved the wizarding community. After the war, Harry spent three weeks at St. Mungo's watching over Ginny Weasley, his ever faithful girlfriend, who suffered a nasty illness at the hands of a dark curse fired at her during the battle. Now that Ginny was released, Harry had decided to return to Hogwarts to continue his studies as a seventh year along with Hermione.

Ron Weasley, the other third of the Golden Trio, had decided not to continue his seventh year has the entire Weasley family deemed it best. They unanimously agreed that they all needed time to find closure over the death of their beloved Fred. Ron promised to both Harry and Hermione that he would write regularly to them during the school year.

The casualties suffered by the Light side after the war were devastating, but those suffered by the Dark side were far worse. At the end of Voldemort's reign, the leftover Death Eaters were collected by the Ministry and put on trial for their crimes. Most were sentenced to a life of imprisonment in Azkaban or received the Dementor's kiss. Such was the fate of the renowned Parkinson and Greengrass families, save for Pansy, Astoria, and Daphne, who all fled to France and the Netherlands to escape the inevitable harassment and judgment they would suffer at the hands of being connected to such elite pureblood families who supported Voldemort. Crabbe had died during the war, but his father was sentenced to life in Azkaban along with Goyle and his father. Blaise Zabini and his family relocated to their native home in Italy; they were neutral during the war but deemed the relocation necessary as they would undoubtedly be frowned upon by the wizarding population as being one of the formerly elite pureblood families. The Malfoys, who were perhaps considered the most staunch pureblood elitists and dedicated followers of Voldemort, suffered equal if not harsher punishments. Lucius Malfoy was naturally imprisoned in Azkaban and set to succumb to the Kiss in a matter of weeks; Narcissa, who remained ever faithful to her husband, fought relentlessly for her husband's release but was imprisoned as well; and Draco Malfoy, to the shock of the entire wizarding community, had renounced his parents and cleverly proved himself to be innocent of all his supposed Death Eater activities to the Wizengamot and was freed from all charges laid against him.

Miraculously enough he was seated in the very last row of Hermione's Transfiguration classroom.

Hermione couldn't help but admire him for his willingness to return to Hogwarts. Naturally, he was taunted and jeered at by the majority of the students who returned, as were the rest of the Slytherins who decided to remain at Hogwarts, but surprisingly enough he did not give them the satisfaction of retaliating back. He simply ignored them and went about his business. It seemed as if Malfoy was no longer himself, but purely a shell, a ghost, completely replaced by this constantly stoic other Malfoy. Hermione couldn't help but to pity him a little bit, thinking of him as a poorly misguided boy who lost his way in the dark. However, she still had to remind herself that this was still Malfoy, the same spoiled little rich boy who teased her and her friends during the majority of their years at Hogwarts. The boy who called her that awful, dirty word.

_Mudblood_. The same word carved into her arm by his deranged aunt. The word that would now haunt her forever.

As Hermione seated herself in the front of the class, she couldn't help but to crane her head back to look at him.

He was perfectly poised in his chair, gracefully positioned with perfect posture, with his long, tapering fingers gripping an ebony quill that was scribbling away on his parchment. He was not donning his Slytherin robes; he wore a clean, crispy white button down along with his house tie, and the sleeves were rolled back enough to see the noticeable muscles of his forearm, craved out by his activities as a former seeker for the Slytherin quidditch team. His perfectly chiseled features, alarmingly pale skin, and downy, blonde hair made him look completely angelic. His brow was furrowed in deep concentration as he brought one of his hands up to brush back some loose tendrils of hair that fell in front of his eyes.

Hermione had to stop herself.

_Muscles? Perfectly chiseled? Angelic? You should not be having these thoughts about Malfoy... The boy who harassed you for years and called you a mudblood._

Hermione brushed her ludicrous thoughts away long enough to closely pay attention to Professor Ribthorn's lesson (Professor McGonagall was now Headmistress) and take notes diligently. Her work ethic remained the same as it had always been.

Towards the end of the class period, however, she couldn't help but steal another glance at Malfoy.

He had just finished packing his materials into his satchel and was now scrutinizing his shirt and picking off- what? Imaginary dust?- something off of his sleeve. That is, until he glanced upward to meet Hermione's gaze. Hermione slightly gasped as his molten grey eyes met her chocolate brown orbs. She became unnerved by this but was compelled to not look away. There was something about his eyes... Something so haunting yet so pleasantly electrifying that sent goosebumps up her arms. His gaze was calming yet frightening... Yet it didn't reveal anything at all. No emotion. Whatever secrets he was hiding, they were being well kept.

As quickly as she had met his gaze, Malfoy grabbed his satchel and strode from the room as the other students began to shuffle about as class had ended. Hermione was brought back to reality as she found herself somewhat breathless from what just occurred. She brushed it off, smoothed her shirt, straightened her tie, and collected her things. She had to forget about Malfoy; after all, it was lunch time, and Harry was waiting for her in the Great Hall.

Harry.

Her best friend.

Hermione smiled to herself and left the classroom, briefly forgetting about her prior experience and continuing her way down the hall.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: All characters (save a few of my own) belong to J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter Two**

"Hey, Harry," Hermione greeted him with a smile as she shrugged off her book bag and took her place next to him at the table. They were soon joined by Neville and Luna, who were now happily dating, and lunch was served. The Great Hall soon began to buzz with its normal level of chatter amongst the students as they hungrily dove in to the bountiful plates of food that lined each table. Hermione fixed herself a plate and pulled out her essay for Charms and began to scribble away on her parchment, all while taking small bites of her food and sips of her pumpkin juice.

"Really, Hermione, you would think that maybe after the war your study habits would have changed, but it appears you're still as studious as ever!" Harry chuckled amusedly as he continued to eat his lunch.

Hermione couldn't help but smirk in return at him. No way she would let her work ethic slide just because it was her last year at Hogwarts. She still aimed to keep her title as the Brightest Witch of Her Age and worked diligently to please her professors and receive excellent marks. Harry seemed to care less about his school work with his nonchalant attitude.

As she wrote, she continued to listen to her friends' conversation as Luna began to ramble about her future endeavors of roaming the South American mountains with her father in search of Andean fairies with Neville supporting her wholeheartedly, of course. She allowed herself a small smile as she basked in the comfortable familiarity of her times at Hogwarts before the war had taken over everyone's lives. She had to sigh a little bit as well, for she couldn't help but miss Ron, the other third of their trio. It wasn't that she was interested in him romantically, but he was such a lovable companion that had been a main part of her life for so long that it somehow felt wrong to be here without him. She knew Harry missed him as well.

Hermione soon found herself having to pack her things as the other students began to leave for their next class. Harry waited for her to finish patiently as they both were heading to Charms together.

"No letters from Ron today," he sighed as they began to exit the Great Hall.

Hermione said nothing in return as they silently made their way down the hall towards the Charms classroom.

Charms seemed to go by unusually slower than Hermione anticipated.

She saw that Professor Flitwick was as enthusiastic about his lessons as he'd always been, but she could also discern that he seemed almost strained. Like he had aged from the horrors of the war. She could see it in his face, McGonagall's face, Harry's face... Hell, they had all aged from the war. A state of normalcy had descended upon Hogwarts once more, but for some normalcy was something far fetched; for some people there was no normal anymore.

Hermione shook these thoughts out of her head and glanced over at Harry who gave her a small smile whilst he tapped his quill against his parchment in boredom.

Time seemed to tick by as slow as humanly possible. It seemed an eternity had passed before Professor Flitwick ended his lecture and allowed the class free time to complete their essays. Hermione took this opportunity to excuse herself to the bathroom, which her professor naturally obliged.

The overwhelmingly large corridor was completely empty as Hermione made her way to the bathroom.

As she finished washing her hands, Hermione couldn't help but to look at her reflection in the mirror and frown a little bit. Her looks had obviously changed over the years, but to her it seemed as if she was cursed with being just average. Her riotous mane of frizzy hair had been tamed considerably; her chestnut colored hair now fell past her shoulders in smooth, soft waves and ringlets. Her porcelain skin was virtually without blemish, and her chocolate brown doe-like eyes were only accentuated by a bit of mascara, the only makeup she every truly wore, and her lips were full and shell pink. Yet, despite her maturing appearance, something was missing. Something had to be missing. She was always noticed for her know-it-all attitude and her brains but never her looks. No boys had ever tried to come her way, except for Ron, who was better off as strictly a friend. In a way it just made Hermione feel a bit lonely. All girls would like to be told they're pretty once in a while, right?

But it would never happen to her...

Hermione tore her gaze from her reflection and headed out the bathroom door and into the hallway once more.

And just as soon as she started, she stopped. At Hermione's feet lay a lone piece of parchment.

_I don't remember this being here before_...

No one was around, it seemed. She picked it up.

At first sight, Hermione was astounded at how elegant and perfect the penmanship was. The script was not too small, but written in such a seemingly precise manner that was so remarkably, well, perfect. Even better than hers. As she scanned the parchment, she realized it was written for the same prompt as her Transfiguration essay.

Who could it be?

Definitely not Harry, she deduced, as his handwriting was nearly not as neat. Nor Dean nor Seamus. Not even Neville. The handwriting did not have a feminine style to it, and if it did, she was fooled. Who then? Who else?

Hermione turned the parchment over and found the name at the top of the page.

An uncomfortable lump formed in her throat as she read the elegant script. She was caught up in her astonishment that she didn't even register the sound of approaching footsteps behind her. Her heart thundered in her chest as she began to feel a presence behind her, a sign that she was no longer alone in the corridor. She held in her breath as she heard them clear their throat.

"I believe that is mine."

His voice, so melodious yet so phlegmatic, made her stand on edge. She was at a loss at what to do for the first time in her life. She gripped the parchment in a ironlike vice and would not turn around immediately.

He took a step forward.

"Granger?"

His voice practically _compelled_ her to turn around and finally face him.

_What made him so charismatic all of a sudden_?

There he was, looking at her with a questioning expression, most likely wondering why it was she of all people to find his paper. Those same molten grey eyes she gazed into earlier were looking at her again. The sight of it nearly made her heart clench.

"Malfoy." She forced out, her voice slightly cracking as she tried to hide her surprise.

He raised his eyebrow briefly at her. Did he notice her slip up? Oh god. She couldn't show him how he was affecting her.

_What are you doing, Hermione_?_ This is Malfoy for goodness sakes_!

Her hand automatically reached out to him with his parchment. He paused momentarily before he reached out to take it.

His fingertips grazed the back of her hand as he took the parchment and just as they did Hermione recoiled as if she'd been hurt.

He raised his eyebrow in question again. Surely he must notice her odd behavior...

"Scared of me, Granger?" He smirked at her as he slipped the parchment inside his robes.

It took Hermione a second before she form a coherent reply.

"No, of course not!"

Was that really her voice? How could she sound so scared? Oh god, he probably really noticed her feelings now...

Sensing her discomfort, Draco took another step forward towards her. Hermione stood perfectly still. He flashed a charming grin at her that made the lump in her throat considerably bigger.

"Don't worry, I won't bite." His voice sounded lower, huskier even. Silky and sweet. Hermione looked up at him and he threw her a small, crooked smile, his grey eyes flashing in amusement, as if he were enjoying her being this uncomfortable around him.

She didn't know what to say in return.

Everything seemed to snap back into place when he finally stepped beside her and began to walk down the hallway.

"Thanks, Granger."

His musky, masculine aroma lingered at where he had just stood as Hermione refused to move. She waited until his footsteps had completely disappeared before she pulled herself together and scampered back to her Charms classroom.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: All characters, save a few of my own, belong to J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter Three**

Hermione did not dare say a word to Harry about her exchange with Malfoy in the hallway. He could tell she was visibly shaken, but naturally, Hermione faked a smile and shrugged it off, convincing Harry for now that all was well.

In reality, Hermione was trying to control the excessive pounding in her chest. Her heart hammered uncontrollably, and this confused her and even irritated her to no end. It was just Malfoy after all. Typically, they would have exchanged insults and would have not been civil in the slightest to each other. But the war had changed people, didn't it? Maybe he was changed. Maybe that's why he had been relatively polite to her.

But when had he become so damn charismatic? And alluring? Attractive?

_No no no... Your mind must be slipping if you think Malfoy of all people is attractive! Get a hold of yourself, Granger!_

She needed to regain control of herself. She couldn't let her vulnerability shine through, especially towards Malfoy. Malfoy the git. Malfoy the bully. Malfoy, the one who called her a mudblood. Malfoy...

_The one who changed? Could it really be possible?_

No matter. What mattered is going to Arithmancy. Focusing on her schoolwork, that was Hermione Granger was best at.

The rest of the day flew by for Hermione. She finished her classes for the day, ate dinner with her friends, worked for a bit in the library, and met Harry to talk in the Gryffindor common room before bed.

Hermione sighed contentedly as she gathered the sheets about her as she settled into her bed. She silently gazed out the window and watched the starry night sky, reminiscing over her years at Hogwarts, still in disbelief that this was her final year here. She thought about Ron. And Ginny. Two her her closest friends that she dearly missed. Maybe tomorrow they would receive letters from them.

Before she knew it, Hermione found herself in a deep slumber.

In her slumber she had visions of a soft, melodious voice, a piece of parchment, and haunting grey eyes.

**PART TWO**

_Harry and Hermione: _

_ You don't even know how much I miss you guys. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't choose to go back to Hogwarts like everyone else, but at the same time I feel I made the right decision. We've all gotten a lot closer around here but we sure miss Fred. Mum keeps herself busy, constantly cooking for us and such, but we all know how sad she truly is. George is too. Well, we all are. But things are getting better. We all hope you guys can come visit on break or something. Mum especially wants to see you two, you know how much she loves you as well as us. I'm ready to see you guys too. Don't have too much fun without me._

_Love,_

_Ron_

_P.S. Harry: Ginny promises to write as soon as she feels better. Shouldn't take too much longer I'd think. She passes on her love._

Harry had received the letter early in the morning and shared it with Hermione at breakfast. Both were overjoyed to finally hear from their friend. Hermione chuckled while reading the letter; it was written in Ron's typical style: short and to the point. He never was too eloquent with words to begin with. Harry was slightly disappointed in not hearing from Ginny directly, but Hermione reassured him that she would be able to soon once she recovered.

"I'll see you later, Hermione!" Harry called as he made his way to his class as Hermione began to make her way to Transfiguration. She carefully tucked the letter in her robe, making sure it wouldn't crumple; Harry preferred she take it since he knew she would never lose it.

Hermione smiled. She was relieved to finally hear from her other best friend and couldn't wait to write back later. However, she couldn't help but mentally note that Ron's penmanship was not near as perfect as Malfoy's.

**PART THREE**

"...That is why I have decided to take the liberty of placing you all in pairs to complete this project. After all, two brilliant minds tend to work together very well. I expect each and every one of you to work with your partner and compose a well written report that focuses on the topic of Human Transfiguration, in the forms of the animagus and the metamorphagus. This report shall be presented to me no later than two weeks from today's date."

The class collectively groaned.

"And since you all seem so incredibly enthusiastic about this assignment, what better way to go about it than me choosing your partners for you?"

Professor Ribthorn smirked as the class groaned again.

"Now, now, the sooner I start, the sooner you all can get to work!"

Another groan.

"Wonderful! Let's see, who shall be the first pair? Mr. Finnegan and Ms. Patil, perhaps?"

Damn. There went Hermione's first hope. Padma could easily measure up to Hermione in intellect, and the two had grown to be good friends over their last couple of years at Hogwarts. She had really counted on Ribthorn to pair her up with Padma. As if reading her mind, Padma mouthed a "Sorry" to Hermione as she made her way to sit with Seamus.

"Mr. Macmillan and Ms. Tomlinson!"

"Mr. Fletchley and Ms. Bell!"

Hermione's hope was rapidly dwindling. She prayed that Ribthorn would pair her up with Neville or Dean at least. She glanced around the room; Hermione, Neville, Dean, Hannah Abbott, Lavender Brown, and Malfoy were all that remained.

Malfoy.

_Malfoy. No no no NO, not him! Please, Professor Ribthorn!_

That familiar thundering began in her chest again as Ribthorn paired Neville with Hannah.

_Please, please, PLEASE._

Her hands started shaking. Her vision went blurry. Her stomach began to turn.

With an air of finality, Professor Ribthorn turned to gesture at Malfoy.

"Mr. Malfoy and..."

Before he even turned to her, Hermione already shot up out of her seat, startling the students around her.

Many gave her questioning looks. Professor Ribthorn smiled at her. She turned her head to look past her professor to see him. His face. On it wore the same questioning look that everyone else seemed to don in that moment. She took in one shaky breath.

"Ms. Granger."

And with that, Hermione fell to the floor.

**PART FOUR**

Her thoughts had returned.

All she could remember was the look on his face as Professor Ribthorn spoke her name. She had known it was inevitable. She was cursed. She was, wasn't she? Why else would this have happened?

After that all she could remember was a brief period of darkness. But in that darkness, she could also feel another presence, as of someone else was there with her. Warmth. She felt that too. In that moment, she felt like she was weightless. Like she was floating. A miraculous feeling. And that warm presence was there. She felt it. What was it? Who was it?

And that smell.

That sweet, yet spicy and musky aroma. Hadn't she smelt it before? Yes, she must have. That incredibly masculine scent that was so incredibly enticing, beckoning her to come closer. A sweet voice in the back of her mind saying her name over and over...

Inwardly she groaned in frustration. Who was this? What was it?

She felt like she was clawing around in the darkness, searching for answers she would never find, until it happened. The lights were turned on. Reality came rushing back. It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head.

Hermione's eyes snapped open.

She found herself being cradled in the arms of someone. She felt movement as whoever it was carried her. Where were they taking her?

She had fainted, didn't she? They were heading to the infirmary most likely.

She glanced upward. And as she did, she held her breath as he looked down at her with those piercing grey eyes.

"Decided to return back to earth, Granger?"

She stared back up at him for a brief moment before throwing herself out of his arms. She braced herself to sprint back to her Transfiguration class where she belonged, but those same elegant fingers reached out before she could even turn around and trapped her wrist in a vice-like grip. He didn't say a word but mercilessly continued to drag her towards the infirmary.

"Let go, Malfoy!" She screamed at him. She tugged and pulled with all her might, but felt as if she was trapped. His grip was far too strong.

He didn't even bother to look at her.

"Granger, I know you would rather save yourself the trouble of having to go to the infirmary, but since it was Professor Ribthorn's order for me to escort you there safely, you might as well cooperate with me this once. Now if you would stop bloody trying to escape we could make this much less strenuous than need be."

She wouldn't have it. Her wand wasn't in reach, but she was proficient in wandless magic. She sent a stinging hex Malfoy's way and hoped it would hit him hard.

However, his reaction was quite the opposite.

Malfoy actually stopped completely. Hermione stared at him in astonishment. Shouldn't he have let her go and been screaming "Ow!" in the process?

Instead, he began to chuckle darkly and slowly turned to face her.

The sound wasn't as near as pleasant as his voice had been previously. A tiny twinge of fear erupted within Hermione as she watched him laugh.

He saw her look of incredulity and continued to laugh. She was completely perplexed. And not to mention angered.

"My dear Granger," he began as he started towards her, those molten grey eyes boring into her.

He continued his pursuit until she was firmly planted against the wall behind her. His eyes sparkled with delight, as if he were sensing her fear and relishing it. She could only look into his mesmerizing eyes as if he were hypnotizing her. That sweet smell invaded her nostrils once more, and she couldn't help but continue to inhale it. Her breath came in short gasps as she watched him. His presence was no longer warming; it felt positively unnerving. He looked at her as of she were his prey.

"My dear Granger, you think a simple stinging hex could stop me?" He almost whispered the last words and Hermione's mouth opened in astonishment. How was he immune to a stinging hex? No one could be. Could they...?

Again, she was at a loss for words. Why on earth did he make her feel so helpless?

He chuckled again. His grey eyes sparkled with amusement as he watched her.

In that moment, Hermione took the opportunity to wrench her wrist free from his grasp and run. She never heard footsteps behind her. She left Malfoy in the corridor completely alone.

He watched her run. Unfortunate really how she underestimated him. How everyone did.

They would all see.

More importantly, he would make her see.

Draco Malfoy left the corridor and went back to his classroom. There was no sign of Granger when he returned. Ribthorn, ever so oblivious, prepared to dismiss the class. Draco packed his things and left the classroom once Ribthorn dismissed them all.

He smiled to himself.

There were plans to be made.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**: I know at the beginning of the first chapter I said that this fanfic was going to be written primarily in Hermione's perspective, but as I have thought about furthering the story, I've come to the conclusion that it would be best to write in both her and Draco's point of view. This way I can showcase each character's emotional and mental state and to show the change they go through as the story progresses. Also, I hope the first three chapters haven't been to slow and have held your attention. I'm excited to continue writing, and I hope you all enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: All characters (save a few of my own) belong to J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter Four**

Silly girl, thinking she could escape so easily.

Oh, he knew what he was doing. It took an immense amount of self control, but it was worth it. _She_ was worth it.

And Professor Ribthorn's decision to partner them up together was an added bonus; the plan would unfold better than he thought.

How he loved to see her all riled up because of him... He projected such a perfectly innocent facade that no one would suspect him otherwise. He knew he had quite the beguiling charm with women, and it seemed to work exceptionally on her. He noticed her pupils dilating as she stared at him, the shortness of breath and the pounding of her heart when he was near, the electricity that hummed through their bodies when their fingertips met... However, he didn't expect her to faint.

_Granger will be easier than I suspected._

But she was still as feisty as he remembered. That little stunt she pulled on the way to the infirmary angered him, yet it also amused him. It angered him that she had the nerve to be so ungrateful for his selfless act; he was simply trying to help her. It amused him because she was so naive to think a stinging hex would harm him. She knew absolutely nothing about him. How he suffered much worse at the hands of the Dark Lord. A simple, elementary stinging hex wouldn't affect him.

He would have to keep her dominating nature in check. In time, she would learn to be more subservient. _To him_.

_Little do you know what awaits you, my Gryffindor princess..._

He would begin his work this evening. Seeing that they needed to begin that silly project of Ribthorn's, it would make the perfect excuse to find her. And he knew just where she would be...

**PART TWO**

Hermione skipped the rest of Transfiguration. No way she was going back there where he was. She went back to the Gryffindor common room and waited until the class period ended so she could return and safely retrieve her book bag without running into Malfoy again.

Thankfully, by dinner time, the uncomfortable knot in her stomach had vanished, and she felt somewhat back to her normal self as she met Harry in the Great Hall once more. She refused to look anywhere near the Slytherin table. Harry greeted her with a smile and gave her a brief hug before sitting down next to her at the table. Upon seeing the food, however, Hermione quickly decided she no longer had an appetite.

"Don't think I don't know what happened earlier today, Hermione," Harry said, staring directly at her, his face appearing quite serious and concerned.

Hermione froze. "What?"

"Dean told me," Harry explained, still staring at her with that same serious demeanor. It was quite unsettling; it made her feel like she had done something wrong. She just stared at him blankly, refusing to show any of the turmoil she was feeling inside. "Listen, I know we've never been fond of Malfoy, I mean, no one really has, but I do think working with him on your paper won't be too big of a deal. He seems quiet enough now to be considered changed, I suppose, so working on a paper with him should be easy. As long as he doesn't resort back to his ferret-like ways, in which case you will come to me and I'll see to it that I hex his arse into oblivion. All right?"

Harry offered her a comforting smile and she returned it, feeling appeased by his words. He did sound reasonable; Malfoy had done nothing wrong after all. It's not like he had a say in who he was partnered up with, and carrying her to the infirmary after her fainting spell was the right, noble thing to do. She couldn't be angry with him. Maybe he had changed. But it was still hard to let go of the person he was, the person she knew him as the majority of her stay at Hogwarts. Yet, he had been perfectly civil to her thus far; he never taunted her or teased her as the old Malfoy would have done. Yes, this did make her feel better. But why was it that she was literally rendered speechless at the mere sight of him? Surely she couldn't be thinking of Malfoy as attractive? Then again she couldn't deny his physical assets. Maturity and manhood treated him well. As much as she loathed admitting it to herself, she did find him quite pleasing to look at. She couldn't help but to turn her gaze to the Slytherin table to see...

And he had been watching her.

Those beautiful grey eyes had met her stare as soon as she turned to marvel at him. It was as if he used Legilimency on her. She should have turned away, but damn him, she couldn't. He had her under his spell, and she, in that moment was completely willing. Those eyes, boring into the depths of her very soul, those hands, cradling her body against the warmth of his, that voice, compelling her to drop everything at the mere mention of her name...

Granger.

Granger.

_Hermione_.

She so desperately wanted to hear the sound of her name rolling off of his tongue.

As if reading her thoughts again, he flashed her another smile (damn him!) and proceeded to mouth something at her. What was it? He repeated his inaudible movement.

_Library_.

The library? Did he want her to meet him in the library? That must be it. They did need to start their project after all.

She nodded in return.

At the mention of her understanding, Draco Malfoy retrieved his things and exited the great hall with a flourish of his robes, leaving poor Hermione breathless once more.

"Hermione!"

Harry's voice snapped her out of her trance immediately.

"I'm sorry, Harry, my mind's just so preoccupied with schoolwork right now. You know how stressed I get about my schoolwork, I just want everything to be perfect-" she stammered out as a weak explanation before Harry cut her off.

"I know, Hermione, just remember to take care of yourself. Your life doesn't always have to revolve around school work."

She smiled at him. He smiled at her. Harry's presence calmed her. But right now she was eager to head to the library.

"I know, Harry." She placed her hand on his for a brief moment. "I think I'll head to the library to start my essay, maybe meet with Malfoy another time."

He nodded in understanding and allowed to her to get up from the table and collect her things.

"See you this evening, Harry!"

He smiled and waved as she exited the Great Hall and began to collect his things as well. Before he headed back to the common room, he couldn't help but glance at the Slytherin table and then back to where Hermione just left and hope that she would just be careful.

**PART THREE**

This was it. She had made it to the large double doors that opened into the library. She already knew he was in there waiting for her. It took her a good five minutes before she finally mustered up her Gryffindor courage and entered the library. Madam Pince welcomed her with a fond smile, as she knew how many countless times Hermione visited the library. Hermione returned the smile and began to slowly scan the aisles and tables to try and located Malfoy.

One after the other she continued to search the library trying to find him. Her nervousness was soon replaced with irritability as she walked down each aisle, continuing her search. Surely she hadn't imagined him saying that to her... She was positive he did. She knew what she saw. But where on earth was he?

She stopped.

_Unless he was in the Restricted Section_.

It seemed reasonable. He appeared to be no where else in the bloody library. But why would he be there? All of the books they needed would surely be out here, not there.

_Unless he was researching Dark magic._

No! He couldn't be. He had changed, hadn't he? Harry had been right, surely. After seeing the fate of his parents and fellow pureblood families he should know better than to meddle in the dark arts again. Especially now that Voldemort was gone.

There was no other choice. She slowly made her way farther back into the library until she was there. Her heart hammered in her chest as she laid her eyes upon his graceful form lounged in a chair, his eyes turned downward scanning the pages of his book, his finger thoughtfully tracing the side of his jaw, his blonde hair glowing in the dim candlelight...

_ Oh god_.

Grey eyes slowly turned up to meet hers.

There was that smile again.

"Nice of you to join me, Granger."

**Author's Note**: Sorry if this seemed like a short chapter, but I felt that I needed to end it here for now! Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note**: I apologize for this update coming later than expected. I just finished my first day of my senior year, so I'm trying to juggle doing homework, college applications, and writing this all at once! But hopefully you all will enjoy this chapter. :)

**Disclaimer**: All characters (save a few of my own) belong to J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter Five**

"Malfoy."

His name came out much stronger than she anticipated; with the excessive pounding of her heart and her growing nervousness, Hermione was rather surprised that her greeting did not sound so timid. That's exactly how she felt right now... With his steely gaze resting on her, she felt like he was scrutinizing her from head to toe. And she felt more than uncomfortable.

He gingerly closed the book he had been perusing and slipped it quietly into his book bag. Hermione wondered what it could have been.

_Something about the dark arts I bet._

But she promised to give him a chance. She had to push these thoughts away for now.

_ For the sake of the project. It's just a project, that's all..._

"Well, I'd love to just ogle at each other all evening, Granger, but I think it'd be best if we get this project started at least."

Hermione took a few seconds before she could form a coherent reply. She was too busy watching him move ever so gracefully out of his chair and to the shelf beside her and pick up a few books.

"Y-yes. Let's."

Hermione reached into her book bag and pulled out some books she already possessed regarding the history behind Animagi and also Lycanthropy, courtesy of her former dear friend Remus Lupin. Upon retrieving her books, her natural instinct took over.

"Well, I already have a few books regarding Animagi. We could use those and write about the history of Animagi, the process of becoming one, and possibly list well know Animagi. We could even interview McGonagall; she is a registered Animagus, you know. And Lycanthropy, we could discuss that even. I have a couple of books from Remus we could use, he was a werewolf you know, so I think they'd be useful..."

Her thoughts trailed off as she noticed Malfoy giving her that scrutinizing look again. She could already feel the blood rush to her cheeks in embarrassment and bowed her head so that he might not see. Instead, she took the chair next to him and laid the books down on the adjacent table. Malfoy turned to eye them with interest; he reached over and picked up One's Guide to Lycanthropy and All of Its History. His molten grey eyes began to sparkle with interest as he began to peruse through its pages. Hermione simply watched him. His long, elegant fingers brushing the pages, his brow furrowed in study...

His voice broke through her trance.

"Lycanthropy... Rather fascinating, isn't it?" His voice spoke softly, but did not hide the genuine interest he apparently possessed in that moment.

"Yes, I suppose." Hermione replied just as soft spoken. She eyed him curiously as he quietly closed the book. Her breathing hitched in her throat as he returned his gaze on her. A small smile graced his face. A smile that could be considered predatory.

"I heard that."

Hermione panicked. What did he hear? She swallowed a huge lump in her throat.

"W-what?" She stammered.

"Oh, don't play coy, Granger," he laughed, "you know. I can hear it perfectly. How your breathing is labored, how your face flushes at the mere sight of me..."

At this, Hermione stood up immediately, trying to hide the furious blush swarming to her cheeks. She turned quickly and frantically headed into the next aisle. She refused to hear this.

But sure enough, footsteps began to follow her. She felt like an animal being stalked by a hunter... And she was sure she couldn't escape. As she rounded the next aisle, she gasped as Draco Malfoy had already beat her there.

"Not only that, but I see how your pupils dilate. How your hands quiver and shake in nervousness..."

His smile grew more wicked as she slowly backed her into the corner. She was undoubtedly trapped at the hands of Draco Malfoy.

"And this."

Hermione gasped as he had the nerve to place his hand against her chest, right where her heart was, no doubt hearing the frantic hammering from within.

_Oh. My. God._

"Yes, Princess, I hear that. You can't fool me."

"What did you call me?" Hermione demanded as she bristled at his little pet name.

He chuckled darkly.

"Princess. But of course, it's what you are, isn't it? Gryffindor's little golden princess."

She gaped. She couldn't stop reeling at the feeling of his warm hand placed ever so gently at her heart. She couldn't help whimper when he pulled his hand away. His same wicked smile grew.

"Oh, you liked that didn't you?"

She couldn't reply. She absolutely couldn't. She was horrified at herself, so obvious in these conflicted feelings that she harbored.

His voice dropped to a husky whisper. Hermione nearly melted.

"You like it when I touch you, don't you, Princess?"

Her big brown orbs met his grey gaze. And in that moment, Hermione was lost. For once in her life, she didn't have an answer. She couldn't find the answer in a textbook. She didn't know what to do. But what she did know was that she betrayed herself. She betrayed Harry, Ron... all of Gryffindor. She fancied a Slytherin. And not just a Slytherin, but Draco Malfoy. The world was surely coming to an end.

He knew her answer.

He leaned in slowly, coming nearer and nearer until his lips were at her ear. He smiled devilishly as he heard her literally quivering from uncertainty.

"What about this?"

He placed a feather light kiss just below her ear.

Hermione nearly fainted. Her knees began to buckle, but Draco wrapped his arms around her to prevent it.

"Or this, perhaps?"

He began to trail little kisses down her neck, savoring the taste of her smooth, ivory flesh. He took the liberty to nip at the base of her neck, earning a surprised gasp from Hermione, and he gingerly kissed the abused flesh.

Hermione stopped thinking. All she could focus on was the glorious feeling of his lips on her. Dear gods, she wanted more. She just wished he would kiss her fully on the mouth.

When he pulled away, Hermione thought she would cry. She let him lead her back to their table and watched him pack his things. No, she didn't want him to leave.

"Draco." She uttered it so softly, full of anguish.

He smiled at her and came up beside her.

"Until tomorrow, Princess."

A phantom-like kiss landed on her cheek as Draco left the library.

_Oh my God._

She couldn't believe it. But it was true. It was all true. She was falling for the Slytherin prince himself. How she wanted to feel more of him...

Shaking her traitorous thoughts from her head, Hermione headed back to her room and began to unpack her things. All of her books were accounted for except one: the lycanthropy book. The one Draco had been eyeing. Surely he had taken it.

_But why?_


End file.
